Hockey Canada will not collect the per-player participant assessment fee from any organization or player in Canada for the 2022-2023 season. The $3 per player fee, according to the Interim Report: Hockey Canada Governance Review, enters Hockey Canada’s “Operations fund” and is part of a larger $23.80 registration fee paid to Hockey Canada.
This will be the second consecutive season Hockey Canada has not collected the fee, as Hockey Canada waived the fee completely in 2021-2022 and reduced the fee to $1.50 in 2020-2021 due to the pandemic, according to the interim report.
On the same day as this announcement, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage selected a date for their next hearing related to Hockey Canada’s mishandling and role in an alleged 2018 sexual assault involving Canada’s world juniors team. That hearing will reportedly take place on Nov. 15, and it is anticipated that longtime Hockey Canada CEO Bob Nicholson will be the lone individual to testify.
In the interim, further detail and direction to Hockey Canada are expected in the coming days in the form of Thomas Cromwell’s full report reviewing Hockey Canada’s governance. After the entire board of directors and CEO Scott Smith stepped down on Oct. 11, Hockey Canada is also working to recruit a new board and CEO. Nominations and applications are open until Nov. 10 and Hockey Canada is expected to elect a new board at the organization’s Dec. 17 annual general meeting.
Hockey Canada has committed to “ensuring diversity on the board.” As the Hockey Canada website states, “This means identifying candidates who, if elected, will bring a diversity of gender, ethnicity, culture, and thought to their duties. Candidates should have a commitment to respect, safety, and fun, which are paramount for everyone involved in the game.”
This board, according to the recommendations made by Justice Thomas Cromwell, will serve a one-year term compared to the typical two-year term, serving as a transition board. Also, all applications for the Hockey Canada board of directors will undergo a vetting process.
While scrutiny continues toward Hockey Canada, a new Ipsos poll completed for Global News confirmed a grim public perception surrounding hockey’s toxic culture. The poll found that “60 percent of Canadians say the recent revelations reflect a broader problem of sexual harassment, assault, and violence within hockey culture in Canada.”
According to the poll, Canadians believe the issues in hockey run deeper than Hockey Canada, and that all those in power have responsibility. As Global News stated, “73 percent pointed fingers at the managers and directors, 64 percent on coaches, while 60 percent said team owners and players were responsible for letting the culture persist.”
While Hockey Canada remains central in this discussion, the poll suggests Canadians think fixing the issues within hockey in Canada will involve much more than the replacement of Hockey Canada’s board of directors and CEO.
